Grace Dent and Anna Haugh have been confirmed as the judges replacing Gregg Wallace and John Torode on the flagship version of MasterChef.
Both Wallace and Torode, who had presented MasterChef since 2005, were sacked earlier this year following an investigation into their conduct.
Journalist Dent, 51, has been a regular guest judge on MasterChef for the past decade. Meanwhile, 44-year-old Irish chef Haugh stood in for Wallace in the latter stages of the current season after the misconduct allegations against him emerged.
The BBC confirmed on Monday (8 September) that both Dent and Haugh will be the judges for the forthcoming series of the show.
Dent said that she was “over the moon to be coming back to the MasterChef kitchen” and looked forward to “unearthing what culinary skills people have been cooking up behind closed doors”.
She also praised Haugh, who she said will bring “incredible experience to the table”.
Haugh, who also judged on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2022, added: “I’m delighted to be back on MasterChef and judging alongside the wonderful Grace Dent, whose writing and wit I’ve admired for years.
“MasterChef has long inspired and resonated with cooks in home kitchens and of course, in my industry. I can’t wait to get into the studio for what will be a great competition.”
Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment commissioning, said: “Grace and Anna are already part of the MasterChef family and together have culinary credentials that are second to none.
“Both viewers watching the series and the amateur cooks taking part can be assured that in the search for the next MasterChef UK champion, Grace and Anna know exactly what is needed in order to rise to the top.”
In November 2024, it was announced that Wallace would step away from his role on the BBC cooking show and all its spin-offs while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.
Wallace, 60, issued an apology, saying he was “deeply sorry for any distress caused” and that he “never set out to harm or humiliate” in the wake of the review, published in July by law firm Lewis Silkin, that saw 45 out of 83 allegations made against him upheld.
The review concluded that the “majority of the substantiated allegations against Mr Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour”, adding that “a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated”, along with “one incident of unwelcome physical contact”.
Torode, 60, was the subject of an allegation about using racist language that was upheld as part of the review and the BBC and production company Banijay UK subsequently agreed they would “not renew his contract on MasterChef”.
After Wallace stepped back from his role in 2024, amid the external review and before his sacking, Dent was announced as a judge on Celebrity MasterChef.
Torode and Wallace’s final series of presenting the classic version of MasterChef is currently airing on BBC One. Haugh will be a judge in the final week of the show.
Two of the contestants on the current series have asked to be edited out following the review and its findings.
Earlier in the month, TV host and chef Matt Tebbutt was announced as Wallace’s replacement on the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals, along with long-term hosts Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing.
Additional reporting by PA
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